1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a textile machine for the texturing of yarn by twisting thermoplastic deformation.
With this machine the yarn to be processed, consisting of so many parallel filaments, is deformed plastically so that the latter tangle and join one to the other.
To summarize, the texturing operation consists of heating the yarn filaments to soften them slightly and of subjecting them, in this "pasty" state, to twisting followed immediately by counter-twisting so as to cause permanent plastic deformation of the yarn filaments to allow tangling and binding of the filaments one with the other. This double operation of twisting and untwisting performed on the yarn is defined by those skilled in the art as "false twisting".
2. Description of the Related Art
The known texturing machines of the type referred above are generally divided into a first type of machine having one single yarn heating oven for true and proper texturing, i.e. for subjecting said yarn to the abovementioned false twisting, intended to texture for example a material such as nylon, and machines of a second type, intended to texture for example a material such as polyester, which in addition to the first texturing oven have a second oven for stabilizing the elastic properties of the yarn, that is to say for heating the yarn in order to eliminate its excessive elastic tensile deformability.
The machines of the first type essentially comprise a main support framework which defines a creel for supporting feed reels of the yarn to be processed and a support structure for the collection assemblies of the textured yarn, wherein the creel and the support structure of the yarn collection assemblies are arranged and distanced one from the other so as to define an intermediate transit corridor for staff in charge. The texturing machine also comprises yarn texturing means which comprise essentially, in sequence: a part for removing the yarn to be textured coming from the creel area, said texturing oven for heating the yarn to be textured, a channel for cooling the heated yarn which emerges from said texturing oven, a texturing spindle--that is to say a device suitable for causing the required twisting and untwisting of the yarn, and a part for removing the textured yarn.
In known texturing machines the arrangement of the elements which make up the machine, that is to say the creel of the collection assemblies and the texturing means, poses a problem from at least two different viewpoints.
According to a first point of view, texturing machines are built in order to economize as far as possible on the space occupied by said machine, for example attempts are made to restrict to a maximum the width of the intermediate transit corridors. Moreover, from another viewpoint, the need has been felt to bring the parts for actual texturing into a position with immediate access for staff, both in order to perform operations of maintenance and replacement of pads, and to trigger the spinning operation, which requires the operator to force the passage of the yarn inside all the operative elements of the texturing machine. The latter operation in particular, the texturing machines provided being arranged adjacent in long rows which may also contain several hundreds of machines, requires several hours of work by the operator, so that the need has been felt, in order to make savings in labor terms, to have all the elements wherein the yarn has to be passed within reach, without said operator being forced to move continually from the intermediate corridor to the back of the machine or to have to remain in poorly accessible positions, raised or inside moving machinery which above all may create a dangerous situation for the safety of the same operator.
The texturing machines of the second type comprise, in addition to the abovementioned elements and in series with said texturing means, yarn stabilization means aimed at fixing the length of the yarn, essentially comprising the abovementioned second heating oven and a part for removing the yarn which comes out of said second oven.
In texturing machines known to date said texturing means are arranged in a higher position in relation to the creel and to the textured yarn collection assembly, in a position with poor access for staff. They also extend from the creel to the yarn collection assembly in such a way as to force, due to their considerable development lengthwise, the yarn collection assembly and said creel to be maintained excessively apart one from the other.
Moreover in known machines the second oven for fixing the yarn is generally arranged vertically and in a closed station provided on the back of the collection assembly such as to make said yarn fixing oven poorly accessible to staff. Said known machines therefore have excessive overall dimensions and an awkward and dangerous arrangement of the yarn stabilization and texturing elements.
Another disadvantage demonstrated by known texturing devices consists in the fact that the yarn therein is generally made to follow a winding path with a large number of acute drive angles, wherein the yarn is stressed due to the high tensions whereto it is subjected, involving a risk of breakage or damage of the yarn itself.